Completion of Tender Offer

Pearson PLC
8 September 2000


PEARSON PLC COMPLETES TENDER OFFER FOR SHARES OF NATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS,
INC.

Pearson plc, the international media company, announced today the successful
completion of its cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of
National Computer Systems, (NCS).

The depositary for the offer, ChaseMellon Shareholder Services, L.L.C., has
advised Pearson that some 31,054,446 shares (including some 1,459,792 shares
tendered by guaranteed delivery), or 94.76% of the shares, had been validly
tendered and not withdrawn prior to the expiration of Pearson's tender offer
at 12:00 midnight, New York City time on September 7, 2000.  Pearson has
accepted for payment all shares validly tendered and not withdrawn prior to
the expiration of the tender offer.

Pearson plans to effect promptly a 'short form' merger at the same $73 per
share offered in the tender offer under which it will acquire 100% ownership
of National Computer Systems.


For more information:

John Fallon       Pearson plc       Tel: [phone]

Note to Editor

On July 31, Pearson announced its plans to acquire NCS for $2.5 billion and
merge NCS with Pearson Education to create the world's leading integrated
education company. For more information about Pearson, go to www.pearson.com